Technology developed by a Greater Manchester firm is helping companies save cash and cut their carbon emissions.

Trafford Park-based Vickers designs, manufactures, installs and maintains advanced technology that monitors energy use in buildings and controls systems such as heating and lighting to substantially reduce consumption.

Its latest product, the V42, is a self-learning system which is able to predict energy demand and supply for a building.

Launched in 2011 after a two-year development programme costing £450,000, it is far more powerful than the system it replaces, and new features can be added through software upgrades.

Managing director David Hilton said: “Previously we had concentrated on industrial heating for factories and warehouses, but the new system incorporates everything that we have learnt over the last 20 years.

“We trialled the system with customers around the north west.

“It controls the heating system using digital temperature sensors placed around the building. We developed the sensors in-house.

“Different areas of a building, particularly big sites like factories and warehouses, heat up and cool down at different rates.

“The system learns that, and also reacts to the weather and the seasons to make sure the heating is used for the shortest possible time.

“It monitors the temperature and calculates how long it needs to heat up for, and when.

“It can also control lighting and all sorts of energy uses and, for companies with multiple sites, the systems can all be connected to a PC and monitored remotely from the head office.”

Vickers' product development is led by technical director Steve Murray and his team of three.

The £4.5m-turnover company, which has 29 employees, was bought by its management in a £7.2m deal last July.